Southwest Georgia Roots
The Gaines and Jones families are deeply rooted in the red clay and pine trees of Cusseta, Camilla, and Albany, Georgia.
The Gaines-Jones Education Foundation (GJEF) is a private nonprofit organization (501C3) founded in 2001 by Anita Jones Roehrick and husband Robert M. Roehrick — of Northern California — in memory of Anita’s, sister, mother, and father: Dr. Betty Jean Jones, Mrs. Irene Gaines Jones, and Mr. Silas J. Jones.
Our Mission
GJEF is dedicated to contributing resources and ideas to education with an emphasis on elementary education, library science, theater, and environmental science. This support is provided primarily through annual scholarships to African American high school seniors pursuing higher education and who meet the criteria set by the GJEF board of trustees. The board provides strong stewardship for the effective management of resources and the design of creative processes for carrying out our mission.
To date, GJEF has awarded over $85,000 in scholarships and discretionary grants to individuals and organizations in Southwest Georgia and the San Francisco Bay Area.
